Integrated active needle point bipolar ionization for air curtains

ABSTRACT

An air curtain air cleaner and sanitation system that incorporates established active bipolar ionization technology with threshold air delivery air curtains that provide conditioned airflow to form a lamination airflow barrier typically between openings in a structure.

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/010,867, filed Apr. 16, 2020.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Technical Field

This invention relates to the field of air curtains used to create an airflow defined barrier in openings and structures between interior and exteriors for different conditioned spaces within a structure for environmentally retention there between.

2. Description of Prior Art

Prior art air curtains have provided air blower assemblies that include air streaming conditioning such as heating and minimal ambient air filtration and recirculation as it leaves the blower through a directional outlet nozzle to provide a laminar airflow barrier as required. Examples of such air curtains can be seen in U.S. Pat. No. 5,984,649 and applicants U.S. Pat. No. 8,568,210 which discloses venturi heating elements within an air curtain configuration.

Prior art ionization systems have been developed that generate positive and negative ions using AC high voltage providing different polarity of high voltage to at least one pair of ionization electrodes with independent conductive cages adjacent one another.

Specific bipolar ionization is a process in which the decomposition of gas molecules into atoms is affected with the aid of high energy sources. While naturally occurring bipolar air ions chiefly from UV solar radiation and soil radioactivity. In an enclosed indoor environment, such ions may not exist.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An air curtain unit with enhanced airflow conditioning properties having multiple blower fans with elongated air outlet directing discharge vanes provides air intake filters and one or more high energy ion generators to produce a bipolar ionization to the airstream after filtration. Such ion generators utilize established ion generating techniques using a pair of ionizing electrodes mounted adjacent to one another. Each electrode is provided with different polarity and generates an external electric field by using the ion current from each.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of the air curtain ionization system of the invention with portions cut away.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged side elevational view thereof with portions cut away.

FIG. 3 is a graphic illustration of the ion generator airflow air curtain of the invention installed in a threshold doorway between interior and exterior environments.

FIG. 4 is a graphic illustration of the ion generating airflow air curtain of the invention within a structure showing disbursal of treated airflow within said structure and returned to the air curtain for recirculation and reionization thereby.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawings, an enhanced ion air treatment air curtain assembly 10 of the invention can be seen having a generally rectangular housing 11 with wall mounting wall portion 12 and, in this example, a top 13, an end wall enclosure panels 13A and 13B and integral base pan 14 extending therefrom. A pair air blower assemblies 15 and 16 have an interconnected central drive electric motor assembly 17 mounted there between for bi-directional driving as is well known within the art. The electric motor assembly 17 is mounted within a blower assembly frame 18 extending from the surface base pan 14 of the housing 11. The blower assembly frame 18 supports a blower housing 19 with respective blower fan cages 20 supported in rotational relationship therein and are connected to and driven by respective motor drive shafts 21 and 22 of the electric motor assembly 17. A blower outflow chase 23 is integrally formed by the blower housing 19 with an elongated adjustable nozzle outlet 24. A unitized rectangular air inlet filter assembly having a prefilter 25A and Hepa filter 25B is mounted in a corresponding opening in a front wall 13C.

A power supply and control panel 26 is positioned adjacent the inlet filter assembly 25 within the housing 11, best seen in FIG. 2 of the drawings which will provide integrated proportional programmable power and control to the air curtains components as will be well understood by those skilled in the art.

The hereinbefore described air curtain housing 11 therefore defines a return airflow path with recirculation inlet air being drawn through the return air filter assembly 25 into a downstream conditioning chamber 27 defined between the inlet filter 25 and the hereinbefore described blower assemblies 15 and 16.

The inlet air flow is treated by one or more bipolar ion generators 28 mounted in the return air conditioning chamber 27, as best seen again in FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawings.

The bipolar ion generator 28 is powered by the power and control panel 26 and will provide bipolar ionization to the airflow stream, indicated by directional arrows AFS in FIGS. 2 and 4 of the drawings. The bipolar generator 28 generates positive and negative ions as is understood within the art by providing different polarity of high voltage to at least one pair of ionization electrodes. An example of such efficient compact generators can be seen by reference in Global Plasma Solutions generator model GPSFC24-AC which provides pathogen killed bacteria, virus and molds in a compact self-contained auto cleaning needle point bipolar ionization system.

It will be apparent that the air curtain assembly 10 of the invention when mounted in the traditional threshold structure opening 30 as seen in FIG. 3 of the drawings will disburse some ionization entrained airflow into the building interior I, indicated by directional airflow arrows AF, it is deflected off interior engagement surfaces 31 of the structure opening 30. The flow velocity generated by the ionization air curtain 10 will therefore push into the structure S interior and then be returned in a recirculation pattern along with non-conditioned air to the air curtain inflow inlet and engaged return airflow filter assemblies 25.

The high velocity air curtain separation of interior I and exterior E achieved will be by flow vector determination providing a 30% by volume airflow from the air current flow out to the exterior indicated at 32 in FIG. 3 of the drawings. Thereby providing the bulk of the ion treated airflow 33 to circulate within the interior I of the structure as illustrated for recirculation thereby.

Referring now to FIG. 4 of the drawings, an ion generating air curtain assembly 10 of the invention can be seen in an alternate application positioning for a point of control use where the ionization air curtain assembly 10 may be mounted on non-threshold structure surfaces 34, as needed, so as to direct 100% the air curtain's ion conditioned airstream 33 towards interior I areas within the structure for the benefits of bipolarization and ionization can be utilized in a variety of specific user environments beyond the scope of standard air curtain application installation.

It will thus be seen that a new and novel application of air curtain needle point bipolar ionization treated outflow of bipolar ionization of airflow has been illustrated and described in both building threshold opening traditional applications as well as nontraditional interior positional placement to treat large volume interior structures with the advantages of active bipolar point ionization to achieve enhanced air quality. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes and modification may be made thereto without departing from the spirit of the invention. 

Therefore I claim:
 1. An integrated active air cleaning air curtain comprises, an air curtain having a housing, a plurality of blower units within, a bi-polar ion generated mounted adjacent said blower units within said housing, an air outflow directional nozzle in said housing associated with said blower units, a return air inlet inflow inlet in communication with said blowers, a control and power source for said bi-polar ion generator and said blowers.
 2. The integrated active air cleaning air curtain set forth in claim 1 wherein said blower unit comprises, at least one blower fan cage, an electric motor coupled to said fan cage for generating an airflow stream there through.
 3. The integrated active air cleaning air curtain set forth in claim 1 wherein said bi-polar ion generator defines a central ion conditioned interior intake airflow through said blower.
 4. The integrated active air cleaning air curtain set forth in claim 1 wherein said bi-polar ion generator generates both positive and negative ions by different polarity of high voltage to at least one pair of ionization electrodes.
 5. The integrated active air cleaning air curtain set forth in claim 1 wherein said directional nozzle directs an ion conditioned air outflow velocity from said blower unit into a structure threshold opening and structure interior defining dual ion conditioned airstreams therefrom.
 6. The integrated active air cleaning air curtain set forth in claim 5 wherein said structure threshold opening and interior defines independent ion conditioned airstreams forming a bi-laminate air recirculation pattern within said structure interior.
 7. The integrated active air cleaning air curtain set forth in claim 1 wherein said power source for said bi-polar ion generator and said blowers comprises, a power and control panel, a source of electric power.
 8. The integrated active air cleaning air curtain set forth in claim 1 wherein said return air inflow inlet comprises, a unitized rectangular air inlet filter.
 9. The integrated active air cleaning air curtain set forth in claim 1 wherein said bi-polar generator is in fluid connection with said inflow inlet within said air curtain housing and said blower inlet. 